JP4443615B2 - Power assist device and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of controlling a power assist device that includes an operating handle, a force sensor, a robot arm, an actuator that drives the robot arm, and a conveying portion for conveying the robot arm. When a body in motion, the conveying portion is controlled to move in synchronization with the body, and when the motion of the body is stopped or has resumed, the drive of the robot arm is stopped for a predetermined time, and does not resume until after a predetermined time has elapsed.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology of a power assist device, and more particularly to a power assist device that prevents a workpiece and a counterpart workpiece from coming into contact with each other due to a workpiece swing and a control method thereof.

  Conventionally, robots called power assist devices have been used in manufacturing sites and the like to reduce the labor of workers and improve workability. As a technique using the power assist device, the rotation speed of the assist conveyance motor when the deadman switch that turns off the assist conveyance state by stopping the power supply to the assist conveyance motor is turned off. There is a technique in which the vibration of the workpiece due to a sudden stop is suppressed by gradually setting 0 to 0 (for example, see Patent Document 1).

The feature of the assist conveyance stop method described in Patent Document 1 is that when a deadman switch that is turned on in the assist conveyance state is operated to an off state, power is supplied to the motor that constitutes the assist conveyance actuator. Stop. The output shaft of the motor is provided with a brake mechanism in which the brake is inactivated by energizing a solenoid or the like and the brake is activated by de-energizing. With such a configuration, the delay time td from the time t1 when the deadman switch is turned off is set to be longer than the time until the motor rotation speed becomes zero, so that an impact or a device failure occurs during the assist conveyance. It is to reduce.
JP 2005-28491 A

  However, in the assist conveyance stop method described in Patent Document 1, contact with other workpieces (counterpart workpieces) due to arm swinging due to operation or stoppage of the conveyor is not considered.

  Specifically, when the technique described in Patent Document 1 described above is applied to, for example, the operation of inserting a window glass into the body of an automobile conveyed by a conveyor, when the conveyor suddenly stops or restarts (rapid start), (1) The window glass comes into contact with the body. (2) The adhesive (reference numeral 12 in FIG. 6) applied to the window glass surface adheres to the body and requires wiping. Further, since the amount of the adhesive is reduced due to the adhesion of the body, even if the bonding is performed at a predetermined position as it is, a gap is formed on the bonding surface, and water leakage occurs. (3) When the window glass is inserted into the gap between the trunk and the body, problems such as hitting the window glass against the trunk or the body occur.

The problems / issues described above are as follows: (1) Since the conveyor that conveys the body must stop immediately in an emergency, it becomes a rapid stop and has a large impact. (2) Since the entire assist device is moving in synchronism with the traveling direction of the conveyor that conveys the body, the assist device also vibrates due to an impact when the conveyor suddenly stops. (3) Since the worker is traveling on the conveyor in synchronization with the progress of the conveyor that conveys the body, the impact at the time of sudden stop of the conveyor is applied to the operation handle held by the worker. (4) There is a time lag after the operator recognizes the stop of the conveyor until the actuator is actually released and the actuator brakes are applied. That is, since the vibrations caused by the plurality of impacts described above are generated in an overlapping manner, there is a problem in that a collision between the glass and the vehicle, urethane adhesion to the vehicle, urethane crushing, or the like occurs.
Therefore, in view of such problems, the present invention has an object to provide a power assist device and a control method thereof that can prevent the workpiece and the counterpart workpiece from coming into contact with each other when the workpiece is shaken due to sudden stop or sudden start. .

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above. Next, means for solving the problem will be described.

That is, in claim 1,
An operation part operated by an operator;
An operation force detecting means for detecting an operation force applied to the operation site;
A robot arm that supports the operation site and holds a workpiece;
Driving means for driving the robot arm based on the operating force detected by the operating force detecting means;
Conveying means for conveying the robot arm holding the workpiece in a predetermined direction,
A method of controlling a power assist device that moves the transfer means in synchronization with a counterpart work moving on a transfer path, and assembles the work at a predetermined position of the counterpart work,
When the operation state with respect to the transfer path of the counterpart work is in a normal state where the movement state is continued, the transfer means is controlled to move in synchronization with the counterpart work,
The operation state for the transfer path of the counterpart work is
When changing from a moving state to a stopped state, or from a stopped state to a moving state,
Stopping the driving of the robot arm by the driving means for a predetermined time;
After the predetermined time has elapsed, the driving of the robot arm by the driving means is resumed.

In claim 2,
The operation part includes a deadman switch that is turned ON / OFF by the operator, and
After the predetermined time has elapsed, after the drive of the drive means by the deadman switch is switched from OFF to ON, the drive of the drive means is resumed.

In claim 3,
Even if the predetermined time has not elapsed, the drive of the drive means is resumed by turning the deadman switch from OFF to ON.

In claim 4,
An operation part operated by an operator;
An operation force detecting means for detecting an operation force applied to the operation site;
A robot arm that supports the operation site and holds a workpiece;
Driving means for driving the robot arm based on the operating force detected by the operating force detecting means;
Conveying means for conveying the robot arm holding the workpiece in a predetermined direction;
A controller for controlling the operation of the driving means and the conveying means,
A power assist device that moves the conveying means in synchronization with a counterpart work moving on a conveyance path by the operation of the counterpart work conveying means, and assembles the work at a predetermined position of the counterpart work,
The controller is
When the operation state of the counterpart work transfer means is in a normal state where the movement state continues, the transfer means is moved in synchronization with the counterpart work transfer means,
The operation state of the counterpart workpiece transfer means is
When changing from the operating state to the stopped state, or from the stopped state to the operating state,
Stopping the driving of the robot arm by the driving means for a predetermined time;
After the predetermined time has elapsed, the driving of the robot arm by the driving means is resumed.

In claim 5,
The operation part includes a deadman switch that is turned ON / OFF by the operator, and
After the predetermined time has elapsed, after the drive of the drive means by the deadman switch is switched from OFF to ON, the drive of the drive means is resumed.

In claim 6,
Even if the predetermined time has not elapsed, the drive of the drive means is resumed by turning the deadman switch from OFF to ON.

  As effects of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the workpiece and the counterpart workpiece from coming into contact with each other due to the shaking of the workpiece caused by sudden stop or sudden start.

  In Claim 2, it can prevent that a workpiece | work and an other party work contact by the shake of the workpiece | work accompanying a sudden stop and sudden start. Furthermore, by resuming the driving of the driving means by the deadman switch, it is possible to safely resume the work while reflecting the operator's intention.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the operator's judgment of the situation serves as a reference for restarting the driving, it is possible to restart the work quickly.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the workpiece and the counterpart workpiece from coming into contact with each other due to the shaking of the workpiece caused by the sudden stop / start.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the workpiece and the counterpart workpiece from coming into contact with each other due to the shaking of the workpiece caused by a sudden stop / start. Furthermore, by resuming the driving of the driving means by the deadman switch, it is possible to safely resume the work while reflecting the operator's intention.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the operator's judgment of the situation serves as a reference for restarting the driving, it is possible to restart the work quickly.

Next, embodiments of the invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a power assist device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the power assist device, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of a robot arm in the power assist device. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the window glass is assembled to the body, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the operation state in a timing chart, (a) is a conveyor, (b) is a deadman switch, and (c) is a robot. arm. FIG. 6 is an enlarged schematic view showing the upper end of the window glass in a state where the window glass is attached to the body.
In this embodiment, in order to make it easy to understand, an example is an operation of moving a workpiece, which is a conveyance object, in the XY plane of the XYZ coordinate system shown in FIG. The XY plane is a vertical plane.
Moreover, in the following description, the direction of the arrow X shown in FIG.
In the present embodiment, the main work performed by the operator 1 is that the window glass 2 (hereinafter referred to as the window 2), which is a workpiece, is held by the robot arm 3 and is transferred to the conveyor 15 which is a conveying means shown in FIG. This is an operation of assembling it on the window frame 100a of the body 100 of the automobile that is transported at a constant speed on the assembly line that is the transport path in the state of being placed.

First, the overall configuration of the power assist device according to the present invention will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the power assist device 50 is mainly a robot arm 3 which is an example of a robot, a free joint 4, and a holding means for the window 2 supported by the robot arm 3 via the free joint 4. In addition to the suction jig 5, the operation handle 6 that is an operation part operated by the operator 1 provided on the suction jig 5, the deadman switch 6 a provided in the operation handle 6, and the operation handle 6 A force sensor 7 which is an operation force detection means for detecting the received operation force and its direction; and an actuator 11 which is a drive means for driving the robot arm 3 based on the operation force detected by the force sensor 7 and its direction. The robot arm 3 disposed above the robot arm 3 and holding the window 2 via the suction jig 5 is moved in a predetermined direction. And the transfer mechanism 14 for movably supporting, are constituted by a control unit 8 for controlling the operation of the actuator 11 and the transporting unit 14.

The robot arm 3 is configured as a pantograph-like closed loop link mechanism as shown in FIG. 1, and each link 3b, 3b, 3b, 3b is connected via a plurality of joints 3a (four in this embodiment). It is connected. A hand 3c that is the tip of the robot arm 3 is connected to a suction jig 5 that sucks the window 2 through a free joint 4. The free joint 4 can three-dimensionally swing the posture of the window 2 sucked by the sucking jig 5. Each of the joints 3a, the free joint 4, and the links 3b, 3b, 3b, 3b constitutes a link mechanism, and an actuator 11 (shown in FIG. 2) is attached to the link mechanism. By driving 11, the link mechanism is driven, and the hand 3c of the robot arm 3 can swing three-dimensionally. Thereby, the suction jig 5 connected to the robot arm 3 via the free joint 4 can swing three-dimensionally with respect to the robot arm 3.
Further, in the case of normal transport, the robot arm 3 moves in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) and vertical direction when the operator 1 rotates the window 2 around the yaw axis and the roll axis by the operation handle 6, respectively. It is possible to move the window 2 by moving the hand 3c of the robot arm 3 in the vertical direction of FIG. That is, the window 2 can be moved in a direction in which the operator 1 holds the operation handle 6 and tilts the suction jig 5.
In the present embodiment, the power assist device 50 including the side-view pantograph-shaped robot arm 3 as shown in FIG. 1 has been described. However, the present invention is not particularly limited, and the robot arm is shown in FIG. The robot arm 30 which is a manipulator type articulated robot may also be used. In the robot arm 30 shown in FIG. 3, parts having the same members and functions as those of the robot arm 3 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  Further, the joints 3a, 3a, 3a, 3a and the free joint 4 of the robot arm 3 are encoders 10 (illustrated in FIG. 2) that are angle detection means for detecting the positions of the links 3b, 3b, 3b, 3b as angles. ) Is arranged. The value detected by the encoder 10 is sent to the control device 8. The control device 8 can obtain the position of the window 2 and the attitude of the window 2 from the detected value of the encoder 10 sent.

The suction jig 5 is gripped and held by the operator 1 projecting from the frame 5a which is the framework of the suction jig 5 and the left and right sides of the frame 5a (both sides with respect to the arrow X which is the line traveling direction). Operation handles 6 and 6 for operating the jig 5 are provided. Further, the suction jig 5 is suspended from the hand 3c of the robot arm 3 via the free joint 4, and can hold the window 2 by suction. Specifically, a plurality of suction cups 9 that attach to the surface of the window 2 (that is, the surface that becomes the outside of the body 100 when the window 2 is attached to the body 100) are attached to the lower end of the frame 5a ( 4 places in this embodiment). When the window 2 is held by the suction jig 5, the suction cup 9 is brought into close contact with the surface of the window 2, and the air in the suction cup 9 is sucked by a pump (not shown). As a result, the window 2 is sucked by the suction cup 9 and held by the suction jig 5.
On the other hand, when opening the window 2 from the suction jig 5, the suction of the air by the pump is stopped and the air is injected between the suction cup 9 and the window 2, so that the suction of the window 2 to the suction cup 9 is performed. Stop. As a result, the window 2 is released from the suction jig 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, the operation handle 6 has a substantially U shape in a plan view and is disposed at both ends of the suction jig 5. The force sensor 7 is disposed in the vicinity of the center in the width direction of one end of the operation handle 6 (the side on which the operator 1 holds the handle). The deadman switch 6a is disposed at one end in the width direction of one end of the operation handle 6. The operation handle 6 is held by the operator 1 when the window 2 is assembled to the window frame 100 a of the body 100. When the operator 1 holds the handle 6, the suction jig 5 is stabilized, and the operator 1 can adjust the position of the window 2 with respect to the window frame 100a. In order to ensure safety, the deadman switch 6a is supplied with power to the actuator 11 of the robot arm 3 only while the operator 1 is pressing the deadman switch 6a (while the deadman switch 6a is turned on). 11 is driven, while the operator 1 releases the deadman switch 6a (while the deadman switch 6a is turned off), the power supply is stopped and the actuator 11 is not driven. . The deadman switch 6 a is connected to the control device 8.
In the present embodiment, the deadman switch 6a is disposed on one side of the handle 6 (shown in FIG. 1), but is not particularly limited, and is disposed on the other side of the handle 6 in consideration of workability and the like. It is also possible.

The force sensor 7 is a sensor that is disposed between the handle 6 and the frame 5 a of the suction jig 5 and detects the operation force applied to the handle 6 and the direction of the operation force. That is, it is a sensor that detects torque, which is an operating force applied to the window 2 by the operator 1 who cooperates with the power assist device 50.
The operating force of the operator 1 detected by the force sensor 7 and the direction of the operating force are sent to the control device 8 described later.
In the present embodiment, the force sensor 7 is disposed only on one side of the handle 6, but is not particularly limited, and may be disposed near both the handles 6.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 8 includes the force sensor 7, the encoder 10, the deadman switch 6a, the actuator 11 for driving the robot arm 3, the transport means 14 for transporting the robot arm 3 in a predetermined direction, and a conveyor described later. A conveyor control device 15a for controlling 15 is connected. The operation of each part of the power assist device 50 is controlled by the control device 8. The operation force detected by the force sensor 7 and the direction of the operation force, the position information of the suction jig 5 (window 2) based on the encoder 10 and the like of the operator 1 (in this embodiment, the window 2 is attached) Therefore, the user intends to move in a predetermined direction in real time. Then, the control device 8 drives the actuator 11 to control the robot arm 3, and generates an assist force determined according to the direction of the operation force applied to the operator 1 described later.

The control device 8 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a storage device (hard disk device, RAM, ROM), an interface, and the like (not shown). The storage device is operated by the operator 1 on the operation handle 6. Various information for determining under what conditions the actuator 11 is driven and controlled from the relationship between the force and its direction is stored.
The control device 8 has a command value calculation device and a command value output device (not shown).

Next, as shown in FIG. 1, a conveyor 15 that is a counterpart workpiece transfer means for moving the body 100 along the assembly line will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyor 15 is a device that places the body 100 on a carriage (not shown) and moves it at a predetermined speed along an assembly line that is a conveyance path (leftward in FIG. 1). . Further, while moving the body 100 along the assembly line at a constant speed, an operator (operator 1) rides on the conveyor 15 and performs an assembling operation of various parts on a predetermined portion of the body 100 (in this embodiment). Assembling work of window 2). The conveyor 15 is driven by driving means (not shown), and includes a conveyor control device 15 a that controls the operation of the conveyor 15. The conveyor control device 15a can perform control related to conveyance of the conveyor 15 such as operation (movement), stop, or speed adjustment of the conveyor 15.

  The conveyor 15 moves at a constant speed when the worker assembles the parts on the body 100 (normal time), and the body 100 placed on the conveyor 15 is also transported at a constant speed. Move the assembly line. The operator 1 of the power assist device 50 assembles the window 2 to the window frame 100 a of the body 100 using the assist force of the robot arm 3 while operating the operation handle 6 while riding on the conveyor 15. Do.

  Next, a control method of the power assist device 50 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

As described above, the operator 1 moves the window 2 to the window frame 100a of the body 100 in cooperation with the robot arm 3 using the power assist device 50 on the conveyor 15, and the window frame 100a is moved to the window frame 100a. When the assembly work of 2 is performed, the body 100 is placed on a placement location (cart) on the conveyor 15 and is fixed along the assembly line in a normal time when the operation state of the conveyor 15 continues to move. While moving forward (in the direction of the arrow X) at high speed, the entire power assist device 50 is advanced in the same direction in synchronization with the operation of the body 100 on the conveyor 15. In other words, in synchronization with the operation of the body 100, the transfer means 14 supporting the robot arm 3 holding the window 2 is advanced.
That is, as shown in FIG. 2, during the normal operation, the control device 8 receives the operation synchronization signal from the conveyor control device 15a, so that it is conveyed at the same speed along the assembly line in synchronization with the operation of the conveyor 15. Control is performed so as to move the means 14.

(Robot arm stop method)
As shown in FIG. 4, when the window 2 as the workpiece and the body 100 as the counterpart workpiece are close to each other, a signal for instructing the conveyor 15 to operate while the conveyor 15 is activated is shown in FIG. ), The controller 8 immediately sets the operation of the robot arm 3 for a predetermined time (in this embodiment, 0.9 seconds) when the operation changes from operation to stop, or from change to stop. ) Stop and do not accept the operation of the operator 1 during that time. That is, the operation of the operator 1 is not accepted until the vibration of the robot arm 3 or the window 2 is settled.

That is, when the conveyor control device 15a instructs the operating state of the conveyor 15 to change from the operating state (moving state) to the stopped state, or from the stopped state to the operating state (moving state), the command is simultaneously transmitted to the actuator. The control device 8 stops the actuator 11 for a predetermined time (in this embodiment, set to 0.9 seconds) (FIG. 5C).
On the other hand, when the workpiece and the body 100 are separated from each other by a predetermined interval, the command is not sent to the control device 8 and the actuator 11 does not stop.
In the present embodiment, the stop time of the actuator 11 is set to about 0.9 seconds in consideration of the time until the vibration of the robot arm 3 or the window 2 is settled. However, the present invention is not particularly limited. You may set suitably according to conveyance forms, such as an other party's work.
In addition, when the distance is such that the robot arm 3 and the window 2 do not come into contact with the body 100 that is the counterpart workpiece even when the robot arm 3 and the window 2 vibrate, the actuator 11 can be set so as not to stop.

(How to resume arm operation)
As described above, after the robot arm 3 stops for a predetermined time (after 0.9 seconds have elapsed), the driving of the actuator 11 that operates the robot arm 3 is resumed. Then, the drive of the actuator 11 is controlled based on the operation force detected by the force sensor 7.

  Further, when considering the situation of the operator 1, as described above, when the deadman switch 6a is switched from OFF to ON after stopping for a predetermined time (the operator 1 intends to resume the work and presses the deadman switch 6a). It is also possible to resume the driving of the actuator 11 that operates the robot arm 3 after the correction. In this case, since the situation determination of the operator 1 becomes a reference for restarting driving, it is possible to further ensure the safety of the work.

  In addition, even when the robot arm 3 is stopped for a predetermined time as described above, the operator 1 sets the deadman switch 6a from OFF to ON so that the driving of the actuator 11 that operates the robot arm 3 is resumed. It is also possible to do. In this case, the situation determination of the operator 1 serves as a reference for resuming driving, so that work can be resumed quickly.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the operation state of the conveyor 15 is changed from the operation state to the stop state or from the stop state to the operation state has been described in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention. Of course, the present invention can be applied even in the case where a state according to sudden stop / start, that is, a state in which a rapid speed change occurs.

Next, in the configuration of the power assist device 50 and the conveyor 15 described above, the control method of the power assist device 50 described above is applied, and the robot and the operator cooperate to assemble the window 2 to the window frame 100a of the body 100. The operation and operation of the power assist device 50 will be described.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, urethane 12 as an adhesive is applied in the vicinity of the upper portion of the up stopper 2 a installed at the upper end portion of the window 2, and the up stopper 2 a is placed on the upper portion of the window frame 100 a of the body 100. A case where the present invention is applied to the operation of assembling the window 2 by inserting it into the engagement hole of the up stopper 2a provided in the above will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the body 100 is placed on the conveyor 15 and moves to the left in FIG. 1 at a constant speed. In synchronization with the body 100, the entire power assist device 50 has moved to the left in FIG. While the operator 1 rides on the conveyor 15, the operator 1 grasps the operation handle 6 and guides the robot arm 3 while adjusting the position and posture of the window 2, so that the window 1 is positioned above the window frame 100 a that is the fitting position of the window 2. The window 2 is conveyed.

  When the window 2 and the body 100 are close to a predetermined interval, the above-described control method of the power assist device 50 is applied. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the window 2 is positioned slightly above the window frame 100a. Then, the operator 1 positions the up stopper 2a provided at the upper end portion of the window 2 vertically above the engagement hole for engaging the up stopper 2a. At this time, when the operator 1 holds the operation handle 6 at this position and tries to bring the window 2 closer to the window frame 100a which is the target position, the conveyor control device 15a causes the operation state of the conveyor 15 for some reason. Is sent from the operation state to the stop state (for example, an emergency stop command) to the conveyor 15, the controller 8 of the robot arm 3 receives the command at the same time, and the actuator 11 of the robot arm 3 is moved. It stops for a predetermined time (0.9 seconds in this embodiment). During this time, when the vibration of part of the power assist of the robot arm 3 or the like or the window 2 or the like has subsided and a predetermined time has elapsed, the driving of the robot arm 3 is resumed, and the control device is based on the operation force detected by the force sensor 7. 8 drives and controls the actuator 11.

  Further, the control method using the deadman switch 6a is a control method in consideration of safety in addition to the control method described above, and immediately after the actuator 11 is stopped for a predetermined time as described above, the robot arm immediately 3 after the operator 1 confirms that the vibration of the part of the power assist device 50 such as the robot arm 3 or the window 2 has been stopped by the operator 1, and the operator 1 can resume driving. After the judgment is made and the deadman switch 6a is switched from OFF to ON (after pressing again), the driving of the robot arm 3 is resumed, and the control device 8 is operated by the actuator 11 based on the operation force detected by the force sensor 7. Is controlled. In this case, since judgment by the operator 1 is also added, it is possible to cope even when unexpected vibration occurs and the vibration time is prolonged.

  Thus, if the method for controlling the power assist device 50 of the present invention is used, it is possible to adjust the height of the moving workpiece, such as the operation of fitting the window 2 coated with the adhesive into the body 100 of the moving vehicle with the conveyor 15. In an operation where precise workpiece positioning is required and it is desired to avoid adhesion of the adhesive to other than a desired location, the workpiece (window 2) is supported by receiving a signal for stopping / resuming operation of the moving counterpart workpiece (body 100). By setting the command speed to the robot arm 3 to zero, the movement of the moving work (window 2) is prevented from suddenly stopping and the movement of the robot arm 3 against the intention due to the sudden start shock is avoided, and the contact between the works is avoided. Can improve quality.

  As described above, the operation handle 6 which is an operation part operated by the operator 1, the force sensor 7 which is an operation force detection means for detecting the operation force applied to the operation handle 6, and the operation handle 6 are supported. The robot arm 3 that holds the window 2 that is a workpiece, the actuator 11 that is a driving means for driving the robot arm 3 based on the operation force detected by the force sensor 7, and the robot that holds the window 2 Transporting means 14 for transporting the arm 3 in a predetermined direction, and moving the transporting means 14 in synchronization with the body 100 which is a counterpart work moving on an assembly line which is a transporting path. Is a control method of the power assist device 50 for assembling the body 100 at a predetermined position on the body 100, In the normal state where the operation state with respect to the movement state continues, the conveying means 14 is controlled to move in synchronization with the body, and the operation state with respect to the assembly line of the body 100 is changed from the movement state to the stop state. Alternatively, when the state is changed from the stopped state to the moving state, the driving of the robot arm 3 by the actuator 11 is stopped for a predetermined time, and after the predetermined time has elapsed, the driving of the robot arm 3 by the actuator 11 is stopped. By applying the control method of the power assist device 50 to resume, it is possible to prevent the window 2 and the body 100 from coming into contact with each other due to the shaking of the window 2 due to sudden stop / start.

Further, the operation handle 6 includes a deadman switch 6a in which driving of the actuator 11 is turned on and off by the operator 1.
By applying the control method of the power assist device 50 that restarts the driving of the actuator 11 after the predetermined time has elapsed and the driving of the actuator 11 by the deadman switch 6a is switched from OFF to ON, the sudden stop -It can prevent that the window 2 and the body 100 contact by the shake of the window 2 accompanying sudden start. Furthermore, by resuming the driving of the actuator 11 by the deadman switch 6a, the work can be safely resumed while reflecting the operator's intention.

  Further, in the present invention, when the conveyor 15 which is the counterpart work transfer means suddenly stops or starts suddenly, the transfer means 14 of the robot arm 3 operates in synchronization with the movement. At that time, when the robot arm 3 vibrates due to the vibration of the suction jig 5 which is a holding means for holding the window 2 which is a workpiece, or when one operator vibrates and the force sensor 7 which is an operation force detecting means. Even when a vibrational operation force is applied to the robot arm 3, the robot arm 3 is not operated, so that it is possible to prevent the robot arm 3 from driving and contacting the body 100.

  In the present embodiment, the operation of attaching the window 2 is taken as an example. However, the present invention is not particularly limited, and the present invention can be widely applied to an operation of assembling an object (workpiece) at a predetermined position using a robot. .

The schematic diagram which shows the whole structure of the power assistance apparatus which concerns on this invention. The block diagram which shows the structure of the control system of a power assist apparatus. The perspective view which shows another Example of the robot arm in a power assist apparatus. The schematic diagram which shows the state which attaches a window glass to a body. It is a figure which shows an operation state with a timing chart, (a) is a conveyor, (b) is a deadman switch, (c) is a robot arm. The schematic diagram which expands and shows the upper end part of the window glass in the state which attached the window glass to the body.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Operator 2 Window 3 Robot arm 6 Operation handle 6a Deadman switch 7 Force sensor 8 Control device 11 Actuator 14 Conveying means 15 Conveyor 50 Power assist device 100 Body

Claims (6)

An operation part operated by an operator;
An operation force detecting means for detecting an operation force applied to the operation site;
A robot arm that supports the operation site and holds a workpiece;
Driving means for driving the robot arm based on the operating force detected by the operating force detecting means;
Conveying means for conveying the robot arm holding the workpiece in a predetermined direction,
A method of controlling a power assist device that moves the transfer means in synchronization with a counterpart work moving on a transfer path, and assembles the work at a predetermined position of the counterpart work,
When the operation state with respect to the transfer path of the counterpart work is in a normal state where the movement state is continued, the transfer means is controlled to move in synchronization with the counterpart work,
The operation state for the transfer path of the counterpart work is
When changing from a moving state to a stopped state, or from a stopped state to a moving state,
Stopping the driving of the robot arm by the driving means for a predetermined time;
After the predetermined time has elapsed, the driving of the robot arm by the driving means is resumed.
A control method for a power assist device. The operation part includes a deadman switch that is turned ON / OFF by the operator, and
2. The method of controlling a power assist device according to claim 1, wherein after the predetermined time has elapsed, the drive of the drive unit by the deadman switch is switched from OFF to ON, and then the drive of the drive unit is resumed. .   3. The power assist device control method according to claim 1, wherein, even if the predetermined time has not elapsed, the driving of the driving unit is resumed by turning a deadman switch from OFF to ON. . An operation part operated by an operator;
An operation force detecting means for detecting an operation force applied to the operation site;
A robot arm that supports the operation site and holds a workpiece;
Driving means for driving the robot arm based on the operating force detected by the operating force detecting means;
Conveying means for conveying the robot arm holding the workpiece in a predetermined direction;
A controller for controlling the operation of the driving means and the conveying means,
A power assist device that moves the conveying means in synchronization with a counterpart work moving on a conveyance path by the operation of the counterpart work conveying means, and assembles the work at a predetermined position of the counterpart work,
The controller is
When the operation state of the counterpart work transfer means is in a normal state where the movement state continues, the transfer means is moved in synchronization with the counterpart work transfer means,
The operation state of the counterpart workpiece transfer means is
When changing from the operating state to the stopped state, or from the stopped state to the operating state,
Stopping the driving of the robot arm by the driving means for a predetermined time;
After the predetermined time has elapsed, the driving of the robot arm by the driving means is resumed.
A power assist device characterized by that. The operation part includes a deadman switch that is turned ON / OFF by the operator, and
5. The power assist device according to claim 4, wherein after the predetermined time elapses, the drive of the drive unit is restarted after the drive of the drive unit by the deadman switch is switched from OFF to ON.   6. The power assist device according to claim 4, wherein driving of the driving unit is resumed by turning a deadman switch from OFF to ON even if the predetermined time has not elapsed.

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